The deal for a bell
by Raerae639
Summary: Belle overhears one of Rumplestiltskin's deals.


**A/N: I do not own Once Upon a Time or The Hunchback. =( **

"Are you sure you want to make this kind of deal? You have thought it through?" Rumpelstiltskin asked as he stood at his spinning wheel, spinning straw into gold.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to make this deal more than anything!" said the other person standing in the room. Rumpelstiltskin looked up at him and smiled.

Quasimodo was as hideous as everyone said. With his hunchback and ugly wart over his right eye. "You said you would like a bell for your tower and I have many for you to choose from," Quasimodo told Rumpelstiltskin.

"Yes, I've heard of your ringing of bells over your village." Rumpelstiltskin walked over to his table and opened a box, taking out a small bottle. "You are doing this for a girl?" Rumpelstiltskin asked him, setting down a few more bottles to mix up.

"Not just any girl. Her name is Esmeralda. She is the most beautiful Gypsy ever and I'm just a hideous monster." Quasimodo held up his big ugly hands. "I could never have her love looking like this. I could never hold her with these hands."

"So being a handsome man will win her over?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"She calls me her dear friend. But I want her to love me as much as I love her. You don't understand how hard that is for someone who looks like me."

Belle stood in the door listening. She knew Rumpelstiltskin would not be happy with her listening on one of his deals. But she could not help overhearing Rumpelstiltskin's guest talk.

It broke her heart.

"Looking like someone who you are not,will not help." Belle walked in to the room.

Rumpelstiltskin let out a small growl when he heard Belle.

"Dearie, what are you doing?" he barked at her.

But Belle did not answer him; she went over to where Quasimodo stood. He hid his face behind his arms from the beauty. He did not want to scare her.

"Be yourself. That the only way to win her love. Being someone who you are not, won't." Belle told him.

Rumpelstiltskin stormed over to Belle and grabbed her by the arm. "I have told you never to but in on my deals!" He hisses at her, pulling her away from Quasimodo. "Can't you see that he does not want you to look at him!"

Belle pulled her arm free and then looked Rumpelstiltskin in the eyes. "Yes, you have told me many times and I have obeyed you. But this one.." Belle turned and went over to the hunchback. She bent down and placed her hands on his arms, moving them away from him face.

Quasimodo worried that she would scream.

But Belle just smiled at him. "Love is hard sometimes," Belle told him. Quasimodo gave her a puzzled look.

Who was she and why was she in the Dark One's castle?

He looked over at Rumpelstiltskin, who kept his eyes on Belle.

"But she could never love me. I am a monster." Quasimodo told her sadly.

"Let her see the real you, not a fake. Give it time, let the love grow."

Belle took his hand and held them. "The whole village hates me, I can never walk the streets without having rotten fruit thrown at me," he added.

"Don't let them get to you."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Belle. I'm Rumpelstiltskin housekeeper." She smiled over at Rumpelstiltskin.

Quasimodo could see love in her eyes, the same love he could also see in Rumpelstiltskin's eyes as they looked at each other.

"Belle, the name means Beauty," he told her.

Belle looked backed over at him and blushed. He then wondered if Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark one who was feared all over the land and made deals with the most desperate souls, could find love, then maybe if he did listen to Belle,maybe in time Esmeralda would learn to love him.

"I'm sorry Rumpelstiltskin, but I don't want to make the deal anymore. I'm going to win her love." He smiled at the Dark One who looked a little upset.

"Very well." Rumpelstiltskin sighed. Belle wrapped her arms around Quasimodo and hugged him. "I'm sure you can do it my friend!" she told him.

"All thanks to you. Seeing how you and Rumpelstiltskin look at each with love, I know I can do anything. Handsome or not I will try my best." Quasimodo hugged Belle back.

Rumpelstiltskin let out a giggle when Quasimodo said he and Belle looked at each other with love. What a funny thing for him to say.

"Come, I shall show you to the door." Rumpelstiltskin told him, placing a hand on Quasimodo's hunchback and leading him out. Belled waved. "Good luck!" she told him.

Soon Rumpelstiltskin came back in to the room where Belle was still at.

"Thanks for butting in dearie!" he told her. He ran a claw over the table.

"Sorry, I know you are angry but being someone he is not would not help him win love," Belle told him.

"He has some wonderful bells I wanted. I had planned to hang one of them in my bell tower that is missing a bell!" he grumbled at his housekeeper.

Belle giggled "I'm sure you can find another deal for a bell." She told him.

"But Quasimodo has only the best bells! I wanted one of his!" he stomped his foot.

Belle placed her hands on his chest. "I'm sorry. But when it's comes to love," Belle blushed and looked down at the floor. "Love is the greatest thing ever."

Rumpelstiltskin said nothing. He just looked at her then placed his hands over her hands. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Slowly he removed her hands from his chest and walked back over to his spinning wheel. He could not get what Quasimodo said out of his head.

_"Seeing how you and Rumpelstiltskin look at each other with love."_

Keeping on repeating in his head. Did he love Belle? No, that was silly.

Belle sat in her favorite chair reading her book near the fire-place.

It was clam in the castle and she had gotten all of her cleaning done early.

She began to wonder where Rumpelstiltskin was.

He was not sitting at his wheel nor was he out making any deals.

Then she heard a bell ring.

Confused, Belle set her book down and listened to the ringing.

Belle headed over to the bell tower and walked up the steps. She covered her ears with her hands as she got closer to the door.

The ringing stopped once she was at the door.

Opening it, she found Rumpelstiltskin standing next to a bell.

"So you did get a bell." Belle stepped up next to Rumpelstiltskin.

"Yes I did," he answered.

Belle looked at her reflection in the bell and smiled. Its been so long time sine she seen her reflection, Rumpelstiltskin did not allow mirrors in the castle.

She ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's very big!" Belle told him.

Rumpelstiltskin nodded his head. "Yes and fits just right in the tower. It's one of Quasimodo's bells."

Belle's eyes went wide. "Did he make a deal with you after all?" she asked.

Rumpelstiltskin looked at Belle. No, he would not tell her what had happened to Quasimodo.

Quasimodo was now dead. After seeing Esmeralda executed for a murder she did not do, he could not live without her.

So Quasimodo took her body, found a safe place and died with his love in his arms.

After hearing the news, Rumpelstiltskin made a trip to the village and made a deal with Fleur-de-lys de Gondelaurier, who was engaged to Phoebus. Her part of the deal was to make sure Rumpelstiltskin got a bell.

For now, Rumpelstiltskin would not tell Belle the story.

He smiled at her. "Something like that sweetheart. Quasimodo is with his love forever."

That part was true and would be what Belle will know for now.

"That's great. I knew he could do." Belle was happy with herself for helping.

"Would you like to listen to the bell?" Rumpelstiltskin asked her. Belle nodded her head. "Yes, very much so!"

Rumpelstiltskin took Belle below the tower and sat her down under a tree. He sat next to her and using magic, began to ring the bell.

Belle listened to the lovely ringing and laid her head on his shoulder.

Love, something Rumpelstiltskin knew little about. But with Belle he began to feel something strange.

Was it love? No, she could never love him. Nobody could ever love him. But still, it was nice to have Belle near him.

Soon Belle had fallen asleep on Rumpelstiltskin. He would hate to wake Belle, to move her to her bed, plus he felt a little tired.

So he wrapped an arm around Belle and laid his head back on the tree and soon he too feel asleep with the beauty next to him.

**A/N: **For the ones who have not read The Hunchback of Notre Dame Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier was in the novel and not the Disney movie. It's been a long time sine I have read the book also. But I hope you all enjoyed it!


End file.
